Federal Adaptation Resources

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Overview

This collection of resources by and for Federal agencies is intended to support the planning and implementation of measures to adapt to climate change. Some of the information here may also be useful to other audiences, such as businesses, natural resource managers, health practitioners, and state, local, and tribal governments. Resources range from executive orders and technical reports to programs, networks, tools, and guides.

As new resources become available, this collection will be improved and updated so as to best help agencies meet the requirements outlined in Executive Order 13653 (Preparing the United States for the Impacts of Climate Change) and the related guidance provided by the Office of the Federal Environmental Executive (Preparing Federal Agency Climate Change Adaptation Plans in Accordance with Executive Order 13653).

Federal Agency Adaptation Plans

Under Executive Order 13514, President Obama directed Federal agencies to cut waste, pollution, and costs in Federal operations, and to evaluate climate-related risks in order to ensure they can continue to meet their mission and serve the American public in the face of a changing climate. In February 2013, Federal agencies released their first-ever Climate Change Adaptation Plans, outlining strategies to reduce the vulnerability of Federal programs, assets, and investments to the impacts of climate change, such as sea level rise and more extreme weather. The Adaptation Plans are appendices to the annual Strategic Sustainability Performance Plans (SSPPs), which describe how agencies will achieve the environmental, economic, and energy goals mandated in Executive Order 13514. The SSPPs and Adaptation Plans are updated each year and made available to the public on agency websites and Performance.gov. The plans must prioritize actions based on a positive return on investment for the American taxpayer.

Use the sidebar to view the current Adaptation Plans. For more information, visit Performance.gov.

Comparison of 2014 Adaptation PlansThe U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) released a report in conjunction with Booz Allen Hamilton comparing the 38 Federal Agency Adaptation Plans submitted to the White House in 2014. The comparison was undertaken to provide information about agency climate preparedness and resilience actions to facilitate partnering and information sharing, identify actions taken by agencies with aligned missions and operations that could be useful to USACE, and support a gap analysis to guide future actions.

Climate Change Adaptation by Federal Agencies: An Analysis of Plans and Issues for CongressThe Congressional Research Service (CRS) reviewed current actions (as of January 2015) of selected Federal departments and agencies to adapt their own missions, infrastructure, operations, and personnel to projected climate change. (It does not address federal programs meant primarily to assist others to adapt, although the boundary is often hard to delineate.) This synthesis is not comprehensive. It identifies common approaches among agencies, examples of specific actions, and notable barriers the federal government faces.